17 Ashes - Season of Lent

Bowl of Ashes 
made by burning the blessed palms from
Palm Sunday the previous year. 

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday (13th February) and it marks the start of Lent. Lent is a time of growing closer to God in preparation to celebrate the great feast of Easter, when Jesus rose from the dead. We say sorry to God for the things we have done wrong and ask for His help in becoming more like Jesus. At Mass on Ash Wednesday, we are marked with ashes on our forehead. This is a sign of our sorrow for the things we have done wrong and our desire to grow closer to God. In Old Testament times, as a sign of sorrow, people would dress in 'sackcloth and ashes' and this is why we still use ashes today. 

During Lent, there are three things we try to do to grow closer to God: give something up (fast); pray and share what we have with others.

Canon Stephen giving ashes to Bishop Michael Campbell in 2010

Season of Lent

CCC 1438 The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church's penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).